ss of injuries, patience, devotion, and self-sacrifice
for the good of others. These are all things which grow, and must grow,
if we are to be as God wants us to be. Cleansing from evil things we
must definitely seek and secure; but growth in grace and peace and
Divine knowledge, and skill in service, must be sought and cultivated
by us continually.

It may help our understanding of this truth if we study carefully the
process in the growth of a good tree. If there is satisfactory
development, three things in the tree will be discovered; namely,
growth in the root, growth in the branches, and growth in the form of
flowers and fruit.

1. I said _growth in the root_. This means that the tree must strike
deep, deeper, and deeper still, so as to get an increasingly firm grip
on the earth below, from which it draws much of its support. Without
this the tree will fall of its own top-weight, or be uprooted by the
storms which will rage about it. So, in the individual soul and
character there must, below the surface, be a deepening and spreading
and gripping of the spiritual forces and principles and realizations,
those hidden connexions with the Divine Unseen without which one cannot
stand before the storms and scorching tests of life.

One of the sacred writers speaks of a section of God's people in
trouble, and in danger of being wiped out, but reveals God's purpose
for them in these words, 'They shall yet again take root downward, and
bear fruit upward'. It is not difficult to grasp the principle
illustrated; we must cultivate _a religion with roots_, otherwise our
experience will be superficial and shallow, and, like the seed in the
parable, with no depth of earth, and having little root, will
ultimately become dried up.

This really means growth in secret, growth out of sight, and reminds us
of the beautiful words of Jesus: 'When thou prayest, enter into thy
closet; and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is
in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall Himself reward
thee openly'. There are many kinds of prayer, but here is one that
helps growth in the very roots of our religion. It fits in with the
Psalmist's word, 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty'.

2. I also spoke of _growth in the branches_. It is easy to understand
what the growth of trunk and branches means in a tree; it grows higher,
develops strength, and reaches o